Informed by the needs of Haiti’s rural communities, UNIF offers its students the option to major in Agronomy, Business Management or Veterinary Medicine. Its mission is to educate young Haitian men and women to create wealth in rural Haiti through an increased understanding of its resources.

This K-14 school employs 35 teachers and serves over 700 students from Fondwa and surrounding communities. Like most buildings in Fondwa, the St. Antoine School collapsed in the earthquake of 2010. Fortunately there were no casualties, and the students continue to meet – first under the trees, then in temporary structures built with assistance from APF’s partners. Finally the school buildings are in the process of rebuilding with the potential to expand its benefit to more children.

The sisters of St. Antoine, who started the orphanage in the 1990s, care for roughly 65 children. They also afford these children, coming from Fondwa and surrounding rural communities, the opportunity to attend the St. Antoine’s K-14 School, even leading some to study at the University of Fondwa and abroad.

The Sister’s mission is to bring God’s word to the poor of rural Haiti through prayer and direct service. The Sisters receive guidance from Father Joseph Philippe, co-founder and spiritual director of the Congregation.

Though the Sisters are involved in all of APF’s programs, including St. Antoines School and the Clinic, they are especially focused on the orphanage, where they take care of approximately 65 children. They are now working on rebuilding the convent for their community. The first convent was destroyed in the earthquake of 2010 just after its completion. They also lost a community member and an orphan in this catastrophic event.

Established on February 19, 1996, Radio Zetwal links an otherwise disconnected and overlooked rural community to the world around them. While French is the main language of the press in Haiti, it is only spoken by a small percentage of the population. Creole is the language of the rural sectors. Thus Radio Zetwal, which broadcasts in Creole, is not only a main source of news for the surrounding rural residents, but also an important resource in emergency response for these communities. One of the first programs restored after the devastating earthquake of 2010, Radio Zetwal allowed people in Fondwa to communicate their condition and receive key emergency information to navigate the aftermath.

Prior to the opening of the APF Clinic, people living in far regions of Fondwa were forced to walk many miles or were carried until they found a TAP-TAP or bus to take them to a hospital. Many ill patients died before arriving to the hospital.

Since the APF clinic was founded in 1988, they have been providing medical consultations and emergency care to the people of Fondwa and the surrounding rural communities. The clinic provides medication to its patients at low prices, laboratory tests, a family planning program and a nutrition program which provides malnourished children with food, milk and vitamins.

In the early 1900s, forests covered nearly 60 percent of Haiti. Today, they cover less than 2 percent due. Since most Haitians still depend on wood and charcoal as their primary fuel source, deforestation will continue until the government enforces regulation and provides alternative fuel. This deforestation has led to soil erosion, which has decreased agricultural yields and resulted in deadly landslides.

APF works to develop the skills of its community in the areas of agriculture and reforestation across rural Haiti. It has also organized many tree-planting projects, and continues to educate the peasants on this issue. Partners from Cuba spent several years working with APF Haiti on agriculture, animal husbandry, and reforestation.